1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to particle generators.
2. Background Art
To generate particles, the traditional aerosol atomizer needs first to mix material in some liquid. Then, using compressed air flow through a nozzle, the system generates liquid drops including the selected material. Those drops move with air into some devices, for example, a diffusion dryer. Liquid is removed by the dryer. Finally, particles are left in the air stream.
However, if there is no suitable liquid available, or some residual included in the liquid, or the device is not able to remove the liquid completely, pure particles for the material cannot be generated. Water is the most popular solvent with the current technology for particle generation with the traditional atomizer, but many residual particles are contained in the pure water, even for HPLC grade water, or ultra high purity water. Therefore, there are many limitations on the ability of the traditional atomizer to generate pure particles.
Background information may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,264,641; 4,410,139; 4,746,466; 4,795,330; 6,331,290; and 6,764,720.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an improved pure particle generator.